Author: Brad

Waking Up Lions has moved to https://wakinguplions.com

I lived in shameful dispare and emotional distress much of my life. By hanging out with crowds of corruption, it only brought more temptation and addictions in my life.

But Jesus followed me around!!

Day by day, I kept slipping into a deeper hole of hell on earth.

Shame and failure brought me to a prison of apathy and deep sorrow. I was running away from myself and my truest calling in Life.

But Jesus still followed me around!!!

The sin that so easily entangled me was controlling my decisions that kept me in a prison without bars.

My greatest willpower couldn’t match the habits of deception the devil gave out daily, like candy.

But Jesus followed me around!!

In my dungeon of hopelessness, on a park bench..I cried out to the Lord, “what do you want?!!”

On that park bench, Jesus showed me two paths of destiny..one path of continued agony. chaos and destruction..The other path He shared was of healing peace, hope, and unfathomable Love!

Jesus chased me even at rock bottom to reveal true Life in Him!

He protected me from heading to Prison so that I could be released to Go into Prison!

Jesus followed me around..now I follow Jesus!!

“Come follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” Matthew 4:19

When I was tempted to run away and do my own thing.. away from all the people I knew, I was graciously protected.

I thought for sure I would have real freedom if I could just do what I wanted to do with no restrictions… true freedom was in my sight..but the lover of my soul stepped in as my victorious Warrior.

The place I secretly hoped to go wild became the place where I was restored to my Creator and shepherd of my soul.. King Jesus, the Lion of Jesus!

Graciously protected by my Savior’s power, His faithful love pierced my heart at the right hour.

His sovereignty reigns over all creation, His authority and power intercepted my temptation.

I am forever grateful for His daily gracious protection. I am saved daily by the power of His Resurrection!

Praise the King of Kings, Yes Praise Him Forevermore 🙏

Fully alive, are you fully alive inside?
How does one know they are fully alive inside?

Does it require beauty, riches or skills?
Does it require power and prestige or adrenaline thrills?

Is there a level of religious hierarchy
Or some kind of transcendental malarkey?

I’ve seen 92 year old men hours from death demonstrate fully alive until their last breath
I’ve seen incognito missionaries going to Shanghai, giving away all they have before they say goodbye
I’ve seen humble catalysts for God’s glory
serving wherever the need, fully alive in His story.
I’ve seen young coaches move on to bigger jobs
reaching the lost against all odds.

Fully alive is when you truly surrender to the King of Kings, and your heart melts & your soul sings!
Songs of joy and powerful peace
as He reveals His Loyal love, discouragement is released.
Fully Alive is found only through living daily for the One who saved your soul
Jesus Christ will make you alive and whole.

Fully alive is more of a faith than a feeling because bad days hit you, and your feelings can lie.

It’s a deep faith and trust in Him for health, provision, inspiration, direction,
contentment, hope,  peace, joy, and overflow love!

Fully alive is a powerful compassate love..for all people!
A sense of Joy so strong that temptations are unattractive and powerless.
A countenance that reflects His light and joy and gives all an open invitation to His amazing Love.

A place where not everything is completely perfect but because Jesus is there present with you, His overwhelming love showers your soul spirit and body.. so your focus is on nothing else but your Redeemer!

Relationships fall into place where they should becuse NOW JESUS has first place, so our drive to solve things is handed over to the One who changes hearts and minds.

Timidity is scared away and God gives boldness to speak and live for the King of Kings! Fully Alive!

Fully Alive!

Come to Him with everything

Ask Jesus to show you what He desires for your life

Wait on the Spirit and Word to guide you…
Then GO!!
go! Go! GO!

You will see His hand and Word  at work in your life and the world and flesh will suddenly be dull and boring!

Come Fully alive with Jesus Christ inside!

Soaring in the heavens with swift winds pushing her higher,
Scanning the terrain ready for warfare as a dive bomb fighter
With speeds of over 200 miles per hour, the Giver of Life gave her this power

Swiftly soaring and seeing eight times more clear
Spotting things very far below… without any fear.

Eyes so brilliant and aware..seeing things most never see,, receiving critical messages…..supernaturally!

Aerodynamic wings superior to a fighter jet,
Testing the limits of creation that no one has discovered yet.

Painted so beautifully with pinstripes and distinctive spots, like a decorated Warrior destroying enemy plots.

This peregrine falcon is such a stealth bird!    Jesus spoke her into existence by the power of His Word.

So keep flying Falcon.. with His grace and power because no one knows the day or the hour!

You were made to fly and see things at high speeds, giving and serving according to the needs.

Your God given gifts are so helpful and you fly with such humility and poise..you swiftly execute with no need of praise or noise.

Fly high!!

***inspired by Sophia Lujan’s walk with Jesus and the beautiful creation of God!

Feliz Cumpleanos Sophia!!

Every moment cherished and every second savored, right now for me, this is to be most favored.

Time with my greatest gifts in life, our amazing kids, close friends and my wife.

And yes time to reach out to those who don’t know You Lord. So many are searching, longing and bored.

But You Jesus love them all so much and daily shout softly in their hearts saying..come to Me!

But the noise of the world and the things of the world distract us all. Prideful hearts try to push away the Love and Truth He generously gives.

Time is measured more in work and productivity rather than heart to heart spirit to spirit time. All in the name of productivity and success. Our children crying out for answers and mentors.

Meanwhile, media has hit us all like an incognito tidalwave. We are drowning in a worldly wave of looking at our phones rather than each other.

His call to make the most of our time, redeem the time and be lead by His Spirit..

“addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

This is the time that is redeeming, transforming..May we plan our days with His Spirit leading us and evermore seeking His Kingdom first!

If I seem to be lost lately…I am..I am lost in spending more redeeming time by His leading.

Praise God for Redeeming Time!!

With Holy eyes and healing hands, you’re leading people to the Promised land.
With a humble servant’s heart you’re in a Holy romance with the LIVING GOD!

Like a powerful cheetah lunging after its prey, is your heart leaping for His Kingdom.

Like a boisterous dolphin, gracefully jumping out of the ocean for joy.. is your spirit of worship to our King.

The Holy Spirit is alive and well in your soul and every expression you display.
Your hunger and thirst to be more like Christ is a catalyst to others, many sisters and brothers.

Your character and humility are a daily recommendation letter of Jesus.

Jesus hears your steadfast prayers for others to know His love and hope…to see and know His glorious grace and power to save!

May the Lord continue to inspire you and hold you in His perfect peace.
May He continue to shine His glorious face upon you
as you rest and rejuvenate in His love.
May you always seek His wisdom and stay on His path as He reveals the desires of your heart in every moment!

May you enjoy and celebrate a daily feast of His consuming agape Love..
May the Christ in you continue to grow as you dance with our King.

Blessings forever

in Christ Brad

A reality where the unseen is more real than the seen and previous worries dismantle at the seam!

A different reality. A different sphere…A place where God’s shalom overcomes fear.

This reality is not a place of geographic or professional bliss..it’s not a thing you strive for.. where it’s hit or miss.

The Ancient of days talks about this very different reality in 66 love letters. He tells us it’s a free gift already paid!

For many people it’s so hard to accept, because they think they need to earn and work towards achieving..instead of surrendering and just receiving.

But God has a beautiful plan for those who believe in what He’s said..His son died for all and rose from the dead.

This different reality is the Kingdom of God, and the things of this world become strangely odd. Prestige, possessions and power are no longer important compared to His calling in this final hour.

Now I’m seeking Him first and submitting to His will, because He paid the price on a cross on a hill.

My savior Jesus, you’re the lover of my soul, to you I worship as You transform me whole. I lack nothing when I see things your way…Jesus you’re my reality I choose to obey! Amen

Inspired by Oleksandra “PI” from Ukraine

If I go early.. I wanna go with sparks of love a flying.. I wanna go with tons of laughing of my kids voices surrounded in my ears. I wanna go with integrity of His love and His shalom peace..knowing I submitted to Him the best I knew how.

I wanna go with a testimony of His love as the dominant power and friut in my life.

I wanna go with smiles in my heart of how much God loves me and the world, as He so sacramentally proved with His blood and mocking on a cross as King!

I wanna go with no relationship left behind in indifference or unforgiveness. I wanna go knowing I lived and spoke my best about His wonderful unmatched grace and forgiveness.

I wanna go knowing our kids are walking in the truth and really want them to know, without any doubt, we will see each other again in the Presence of Jesus.

I wanna go loving my wife far greater than my own human capacity..loving her with more of Christ’s love. His overflowing loyal love that induces Shalom peace and goes beyond all barriers of time and circumstances.

I wanna go riding on His wave into eternity, not with fear and sadness, but rather profound gladness and joy. The kind of joy that makes your smiling muscles hurt. The kind of joy that makes you heart transform into praise, where gushing tears of joy flow like rivers.

Yes I wanna go to Him with everything spent for Him and my family..no reserve. Only sparks a flying of overflowing love to Have Life to the fullest.

The Lord will accomplish what concerns me! Psalm 138:8

And just because I am cancer doesn’t mean I think I’m going to be dying soon. What it means is that I think I’m going to be living more fully sooner for the Lord!!

I am not afraid to die and I’m learning more and more not to be afraid to live for Him to the fullest!

Thank you Heringtribe

Thank you Jesus

We can lose our joy in the Lord when we fixate on proving, performing, pleasing…because the focus of our attention stays on us and not Christ and serving others

 I rejoice because I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of, because through my boldness the Messiah will be exalted through me, now as always, whether I live or die. PHILIPPIANS 1:20

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  1 Peter 1:6,7